Hands
by XyKPfan
Summary: Lunick is worried when Solana has to take on a mission by herself in a blustery snowstorm. Will she be alright? Rangershipping. PluslexMinun. MurphxLeilani referenced. Oneshot. Inspired by David Archuleta's song 'My Hands'. COMPLETE


**A/N:** I've had this idea for a little while now and I finally decided to put it down on paper. It's not the Christmas fic I had planned for you guys but since I've been taking so long with that, I decided to upload this little Oneshot while I work on the next chapter of _We've Come This Far_. I was inspired to write this story after listening to David Archuleta's ' _My Hands'_. It's not exactly in line with the message of the music, but when I first heard the song, this is what I envisioned. So, when you finish reading this fic, I suggest listening to that song and imagining how the events of this story unfold to get fully immersed into what it was I was trying to present.

So I present to you, my Rangershipping Oneshot _Hands_.

* * *

Lunick sat restlessly in his recliner sofa chair. Nothing about the current situation was going to put his mind at ease.

The weather in Fiore could be very fickle at times, sometimes freakishly so, especially in the winter. And tonight was one of those freakish fickle times. Snow blanketed the entire region. The snow had been coming down for days now, nonstop. Quite the snowstorm was happening outside, indeed. The weather was so bad even, that the governor declared a state of emergency and suspended all transportive activities. All vehicles were banned from the road as a result of the monstrous blizzard.

And still, in all this weathered madness, Solana was called out on a mission. The weight of the fallen snow had knocked down a couple trees and power lines, one of which fell right into a family's home and collapsed the roof. Solana was one of the rangers called to clear the scene. And since she was given the assignment before the emergency was declared, she had to go.

It didn't help that Lunick couldn't go either. During a mission last month he had injured his leg in a landslide, which rendered him practically on bedrest. Though he had mostly healed from his injury, he still had a few more weeks before he would be cleared to go back to work, which meant he couldn't accompany Solana on any more missions.

Of all the night's she had to be called on a mission why did it have to be tonight?

Lunick sighed as he continued to drum his fingers on the chair's armrest. Minun sat at his feet, also uneasy about Solana and Plusle going out in the storm. True that a pokémon's body could withstand a lot more physical damage than a human being's could, but there was still a limit to how much damage they could take until they needed medical attention.

Solana walked down the stairway of their house, buttoning up her white blouse with Plusle trailing behind her.

"Okay, Lunick. I'm about to head out."

Lunick stood up from his chair.

"Do you really have to go?"

"You know I do," she said as she walked up to him. Plusle ran up to Minun and began to converse with him as well. "Someone's got to help that family find shelter and at the very least move the utility poles out of the way."

Again, Lunick sighed.

"I don't like this."

Solana smiled weakly and kissed her husband on the forehead.

"I know you don't. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not gonna be there alone. Leader, Murph, and Lind are all already on the scene. With their help, we'll be able to get the job done in no time. I'll be back home before nighttime."

"It's already after four and it's dark. Visibility is less than a quarter mile; the wind gusts are at 40 miles per hour –"

"And that family really needs some help." Solana finished for him as she put on her Ringtown Ranger uniform jacket.

"I know you're uncomfortable with this, Lunick, but I'll be fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"Of course I have something to worry about. You're going out in a blizzard. I'd feel a lot better if I was going with you." Lunick said dejectedly.

Solana cupped his face with her gloved hands.

"Don't worry. I promise. I'll be back home before you know it. You just worry about staying off that ankle of yours. The faster it heals, the faster you can be back alongside me on missions."

Again, Lunick sighed.

"Just…Please, Solana. Be careful."

"I will." She kissed him gently on the lips before making her way to the front door.

"Let's go, Plusle."

Nodding, Plusle hugged a defeated Minun. She nuzzled him lovingly before running off to join her ranger.

"Plah Pla!"

"Mai…"

Lunick followed her to the door. He pulled back the blinds and looked out the window by the front door and watched Solana unlock her car and Plusle jump into the passenger seat. After scraping the snow off of the windshield she entered the car. He saw her strap on her seatbelt and turn on her windshield wipers.

Seeing him peering through the window, Solana smiled and waved to him.

Lunick slowly waved back.

He then saw her reverse out of their driveway and drive down the side road.

Lunick continued to watch her until she was clear out of his sight and he could no longer see the glow of her taillights.

"Mai Mai?"

Lunick looked away from the window and looked down at his partner pokémon. His ears were perked downward and he had such a look of disappointment on his face.

Lunick continued to frown as he looked back out the window and prayed that she would somehow make it through the atrocious storm.

* * *

"Alright, Slowking. Gently." Murph instructed.

Grunting, Slowking encompassed an electrically-charged telephone pole in a psychic field.

"Okay, Solana. Go ahead." Spenser commanded.

Solana was holding a five-year old girl in her hands who she had rescued from the collapsed house.

"Right." Solana looked down to Plusle. "Thunderbolt, Plusle. Full power!"

"Plah Pla!"

Plusle ran up to the psychic barrier orb and climbed to the top, positioning herself right above the broken wires which were giving off several electrical sparks.

Plusle released a powerful jolt of electricity through the magnetic field and applied electricity to the circuit. After about 10 seconds she stopped her attack. The wires no longer appeared to be giving off electrical sparks.

"The electromotive force in the circuitry is disabled. Good work, Plusle!" Solana praised.

"Plah Pla!" Plusle jumped off of the psychic orb.

"Alright, Slowking. Nice and easy now." Murph ordered.

Carefully, Slowking levitated the deactivated power line from on top the house. He placed the utility pole on the back of a utility truck and attached it to its crane.

"Is the power line secure?" Spenser asked.

"Yes, Leader." Murph answered.

"Good." Spenser had to put his hand over his eyes as he struggled to see his rangers through the blustery wind.

"Where's the family?"

"I have them here, Leader," Lind answered. He was standing next to a snowcat vehicle. "We couldn't get the snowmobile. It won't go very fast but it should get them safely to the hospital for observation."

Spenser nodded.

"Okay."

Solana walked over to the tracked vehicle and lowered the little girl down into the enclosed-cab.

"Here you go," she said as she passed the little girl to her parents. "You be careful now, you here?"

"We will. Thank you," the girl's mother replied.

Smiling, Solana closed the door and walked back over to where the other rangers were standing.

"Alright, everyone. Good job. We've secured the utility beam and got the Sprous family out of harm's way. I don't need to inform you how bad this weather is. You are all urged to use your common sense and avoid unnecessary traveling if possible. If you need to stay at the base, then do so. Now is not the time to be courageous. Understood?"

"Yes, Leader." They all answered in unison.

"Alright. Be careful out there, rangers."

And with that, they separated. Lind entered the snowcat and slowly drove the family to the hospital.

"Hey, Solana," Murph called as he opened the door to his truck, "You want a lift? My car's better suited for these intense weather conditions. I don't mind making a detour to take you home."

"No, it's okay, Murph." She replied as she opened her car door. "I don't live that far."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. You just focus on getting back home safely. Tell Leilani I'll call her when I get home."

"Alright. Drive safely, Solana."

"Thank you. You too."

Nodding, both Ringtown rangers got into their cars and started down their paths on the icy roads.

* * *

Impatiently drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair, Lunick gazed back up at the wall clock.

6:30.

Solana had been out in that storm for 2 and a half hours already. The winds had already increased about 10 mph since she had left and the snow showed no signs of letting up.

He then glanced down at his wristwatch which also read 6:30.

Groaning, Lunick got up from the reclining chair and walked over to his front door. He opened the front door and stepped outside, wearing nothing but his blue robe.

Holding his arms together, Lunick looked down the street. There were no cars on the road. Just the nearly foot and a half of snowfall covering the ground.

"Where is she?" Lunick asked softly.

Minun joined his human at the door and peered searchingly outside as well. Discouraged, his ears perked down.

"Mai Mai."

Lunick looked down at him.

"Don't think like that, buddy. They're alright. They'll be home soon."

"Mai Mai…"

Seeing the worry in his pokémon's face, Lunick bent down and picked him up, closing the door behind him.

"We just need to take our minds off the situation and stop obsessing over the time. If we distract ourselves, they'll be home before we know it."

Sitting back down in his chair, Lunick sat Minun down on his lap.

"Let's watch some TV."

Taking the remote off of the lamp side table, Lunick hit the power button.

The television screen came to life and the weather channel displayed on the screen. The panels displayed several sub-zero temperatures throughout the region with a picture of a black cloud with large balls of snow falling beneath it.

"Mai Mai." Minun said sadly.

"Maybe it's all in our heads. Maybe it's not so bad," Lunick commented as he switched the channel over to the news station.

The news anchor on screen described the weather as "One of the worst blizzards in all of Fiore's history." They then transitioned to a screen displaying pictures of fallen trees and power lines, frozen water pipes, and a house that had collapsed from the pressure of the accumulating snow. Then they showed pictures of the clogged streets and roads and urged civilians to stay at home, commenting on the near zero visibility and deep snow drifts. They also reminded viewers to keep flashlights, extra food and water, first aid kits, and an emergency heat source close by.

Growling again, Lunick stripped off his wristwatch and dropped it behind the lamp on the lamp side table.

"Mai Mai." Minun cried.

"They're fine, Minun." Lunick tried to reassure him as he petted his pokémon. "They're fine. Solana and Plusle are going to be home soon."

* * *

Solana sighed as she tried to fight her way through the treacherous snowstorm. Visibility had reduced significantly in the time she had been out. It was practically a whiteout. The blowing snow from the blizzard was actually pushing the car to make matters worse.

"This is horrible. I can't even see where we're going." Solana complained.

"Plah Pla." Plusle said from the passenger seat. She was starting to get worried.

"It's okay, Plusle. I can still see part of the road. If I'm careful we should be able to get home without any major problems."

"Pla Plah?"

"I'm positive. I just have to –"

Solana didn't get to finish her sentence as a Sawsbuck suddenly came into view.

Solana and Plusle both screamed. She swerved to avoid hitting the Sawsbuck, but she ended up skidding on the black ice and snow. Solana instinctively took her foot off of the accelerator but the car spiraled and she went into a violent tailspin as she lost control. Her car slammed into a pile of snow just off the side of the road.

* * *

Lunick wasn't sure how much more his nerves could take. Time was passing by, the snowstorm was getting worse and Solana still hadn't come home yet.

Lunick glanced back up at the wall clock as it chimed at 9:00.

Frustrated, Lunick got up from the chair and grabbed the wall clock. He then threw it in their fireplace, thoroughly alarming Minun.

"Mai Mai!"

Shaking, Lunick walked into their kitchen and took up one of their cordless phones. He walked back into the living room and to the front door and opened it. He stepped back outside and sat down on their front steps, still wearing nothing but his robe. He placed the cordless white phone beside him and huddled to keep warm.

Minun ran outside to join him and laid down beside him.

"Mai Mai?"

His teeth chattering, Lunick continued to stare down the street that led to their house.

Waiting for Solana to return back home was completely nerve-wracking!

She had to be coming home soon. She just had to!

* * *

Partially unconscious from the impact, Solana groaned as she held her head, still trying to process what had just happened. When she felt her fingers touch her forehead, she drew back.

Her fingertips were cold!

Opening her eyes halfway, Solana looked at her hand. Her gloves, though fingerless, were designed in a way that they were supposed to keep her hands warm in freezing temperatures. And yet, her fingers were cold.

Solana then realized that she didn't hear her engine running. She looked down at the steering wheel of her car and tried to start it up.

But nothing happened.

"Plusle?" she called.

Plusle was lying unconsciously in the passenger seat.

Shaking her head to try and clear her hazy thoughts, Solana unbuckled her seatbelt. She then reached over and picked up Plusle from the passenger seat. Her car wasn't on which meant that there was no heat to keep them warm. They had to find some place to keep them safe from the frigid cold.

Glassy-eyed, Solana kicked the driver side door three times and forced it opened. She staggered out of the car and nearly fell to the ground. She struggled to walk through the high snow and blinding winds. She was so dazed she hadn't even noticed she had accidently dropped Plusle.

After wobbling around several feet in front of Plusle, Solana collapsed.

She raised her hand and lifted her head weakly, before dropping back down into the snow, the snowfall slowly covering her body.

* * *

Lunick gritted his teeth.

Something was wrong.

Something was definitely wrong. Solana should have been back by now. Her mission ended hours ago as Murph confirmed for him when he called to check up on her since she didn't call. No way would Solana not have come straight home.

The only explanation for why she would not have been back by now was if…

Determined, Lunick got up from his front steps and went back inside his house. He grabbed some jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of winter snow boots and put them on. He then rushed to the coat closet by the front and put on a winter jacket.

He grabbed his keys from key hook in the kitchen and walked back outside, locking the door behind him. He and Minun hurriedly walked to his car and got inside.

Lunick then started the engine and drove off onto the slippery road.

' _Babe, hold on! Just try and hold on!'_

* * *

Lunick had been driving around in the perilous weather for ten minutes and he still saw no sign of Solana. It was only a five minute drive to the Ringtown Ranger Base and he hadn't seen her anywhere down that path. Then again, the weather was so bad he couldn't be sure he was going down the right path at all.

"Come on, Solana. Where are you? Where are you?" Lunick asked as he continued to search the area.

"Mai Mai!" Minun cried as he pointed ahead of him.

"What is it, Minun?"

"Mai!"

Looking forward, Lunick tried to see what Minun was pointing to. Then Solana's mint green Prius came into view. The front of the car was submersed in a mountain of snow and the right side of it was damaged.

"Solana!" Lunick cried.

He pulled up beside the car and immediately got out.

"Solana!"

"Mai Mai!"

Running up to the car, Lunick tried to look inside but he couldn't see.

"Oh no! Solana! I knew something was wrong!"

"Mai Mai!" Minun cried again. He pointed to what appeared to be barely noticeable indentions in the snow.

"What are those? Footprints?"

"Mai Mai!"

Lunick looked back at the car. He noticed that Solana's driver side door was swung wide opened.

"She must've gotten out. But where'd she go?"

Lunick cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Solana!"

When she didn't answer, he became even more worried.

"Let's go, Minun!"

"Mai!"

Together, Lunick and Minun followed the faded footprints in the snow, with Minun primarily acting as visual for them both.

Then they happened upon a small mound. Minun cried out when he saw it.

"Mai Mai! Mai Mai! Mai Mai!" he repeated over and over again. Then he started burrowing in the snow.

Feeling that he found something, Lunick assisted his partner in digging into the snow.

"Mai Mai!"

It was Plusle! Plusle was the one buried beneath the snow!

"Mai Mai! Mai Mai! Mai Mai!"

Lunick cradled her.

"Plusle?"

"Mai Mai! Mai Mai! Mai Mai!"

Lunick gently brushed the back of his gloved hand against her cheek.

"Plusle. Hey."

Plusle barely opened her eyes.

"P-P-Pla?" she squeaked.

"Mai Mai!"

Lunick shook his head in confusion. He looked ahead of him and a chill instantly ran down his spine – and not from the cold weather.

He saw a body-length mound of snow just a couple feet ahead of them and what appeared to be turquoise-colored hair hardly visible at the surface.

"Solana!" he cried.

He ran back to his car and placed Plusle inside and rushed back over to the human-sized heap of snow. Minun stayed beside Plusle in the car.

Panic-stricken, Lunick dove into the pile of snow and shoveled it out with his hands.

"No, no, no! Solana!"

Lunick felt like he could barely breathe as he continued to dig out the snow.

"Solana, Solana, Solana!"

Lunick choked when he saw Solana's pale face beneath the snow.

"Oh God! SOLANA!"

He quickly scooped her up and ran back to his car.

"Hold on, Baby! Hold on!" he cried as placed her inside and speedily drove off.

* * *

With a long groan, Solana's eyes fluttered opened. Her vision was a little blurred but she could just barely make out that she was in her bedroom. She was covered up to her neck in both the sheets and comforter and she could feel a hot water bottle wrapped in a thin towel on her chest. She appeared to be wearing her silk nightgown as well.

"…Wha?…" she breathed weakly.

"Solana."

Turning her head to the side, she could see Lunick lying down in the bed next to her. He was wearing a white undershirt and boxers and she could see that his right foot was wrapped more heavily than it was before.

"Lunick…? What…What happened?"

"You were in a car accident." He answered. "You were on the ground and covered in snow when I found you."

Solana tried to sit up but she felt herself buckle back down from exhaustion. Lunick placed his hand on her stomach over the spread.

"Don't try to get up. I want you to take it easy and rest."

Solana turned back to look at him.

"There was…a Sawsbuck…on the road…I swerved to dodge it…the car skidded…and…"

"It's okay. What matters is that you're safe now."

Solana sighed tiredly.

"Where's…Where's Plusle?"

Lunick nodded behind her.

Turning her head to the side, Solana saw Plusle and Minun curled up together in a basket. There were several blankets wrapped around Plusle.

"She's mostly fine. She has a few mild abrasions on her head and back. I treated them and gave her some painkillers and she went right to sleep."

Solana turned back to face Lunick.

"How did you find me? I didn't even know where I was when I crashed."

Lunick smiled and he stroked her cheek with his hand.

"I listened to my heart. It led me right to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew something was wrong when you didn't come back home earlier. I had to go out and find you."

"But what about your leg? Your ankle –"

"Don't worry about my ankle. It'll heal. But my heart won't if I lose you."

"You didn't lose me."

"But if I hadn't gone out there, I might have."

Lunick held out his left hand.

"Take my hand."

Languidly, Solana placed her hand on top of Lunick's.

Lunick gripped it tightly.

"Promise me you'll never do something like this ever again. I don't care if it's declared a mission; it's way too dangerous. And I nearly destroyed everything that shows time in this house, I was so worried…I tried every possible way I could to be okay with this but I'm not. I can't do this without you. If we don't go out on a dangerous mission together, we can't go at all. Promise me, Solana. Promise me this won't happen again."

Solana stared into his eyes. She could tell he wasn't playing around. This was important to him.

Solana slowly nodded.

"Okay…I promise…I won't ever do something like this again."

Lunick sighed in relief. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Thank you…Now get some rest."

Solana took the hot water bottle that Lunick had placed on her chest off and rested it on the floor beside their bed.

"What are you doing? You need that to keep warm."

Solana then snuggled up close to Lunick and nestled herself into his chest.

"I'd rather be warmed by your hands. Don't ever let me go, okay?"

Lunick wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his head on top of hers against the pillow.

"Okay." He replied softly before both of them peacefully drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** That is all. Nothing major. Short and sweet.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Please don't forget to review!

Always Do Everything With Love,

XyKPfan


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